A few (surprising) AIDS facts from Namibia

One of the side benefits from any major global health conference is that the host country steps into the spotlight — at least for a few days.

Now is Namibia’s turn, and Dr. Norbert Foster, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, outlined some interesting statistics in Namibia’s fight against AIDS. Namibia, a country of fewer than 2 million people, has an estimated 204,000 people infected with HIV, or roughly 15 percent of the adult population, and international AIDS experts have praised the country’s fight against the disease.

Percentage of people aged 15 to 24 who were HIV positive in 2002: 16 percent